Here are quick hits and notes from NC State football's 23-21 loss to Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in front of 10,422 fans Jacksonville on Saturday:
Not Playing
NC State had four key defensive starters not play Saturday, most notably All-American defensive tackle Alim McNeill and All-ACC linebacker Payton Wilson.
McNeill chose to skip the bowl in preparations for the NFL Draft. The junior announced his decision to leave early for the NFL prior to the regular season finale. McNeill had 26 tackles, including 4.5 for loss and a sack, a forced fumble and fumble recovery and one memorable pick six at Virginia during the season.
Wilson, a redshirt sophomore, led the ACC in both total tackles (108) and tackles per game (10.8). In the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), he entered the bowl season third in total tackles and 13th in tackles per game. He is the first NC State player since Levar Fisher in 2000 to lead the ACC in tackles.
Fellow linebacker Drake Thomas, a sophomore, is also out. Both Wilson and Thomas are believed to be recovering from injuries. Thomas was fourth on the team in tackles (58) and tackles for loss (9.5) and also added three sacks, five quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Both Thomas and Wilson had shoulder surgeries after the regular season ended in order to be ready for next year.
Junior safety Tanner Ingle was suspended for the game after piling up three targeting penalties during the regular season, triggering the automatic penalty. Ingle had 33 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and a pair of pass breakups in seven games.
Redshirt sophomore Isaac Duffy-Webb started in Ingle's place and had a team-high 13 tackles, including eight solo and one for a loss, and also forced a fumble.
At linebacker redshirt junior Vi Jones had four tackles (three solo), including one for a loss, replacing Thomas, while sophomore Jaylon Scott had seven tackles (six solo), also with one for a loss, in Wilson's position.
At nose tackle, redshirt freshman C.J. Clark had three tackles (one solo).
NC State also played most of the first half without redshirt junior middle linebacker Isaiah Moore, but he was able to return in the second half and finished with nine tackles.
Shorthanded offensive line
NC State lost fifth-year senior right tackle Justin Witt to an ankle injury during the first half. Witt was platooning at right tackle with redshirt junior Bryson Speas. Then further adding to the issues up front was a costly injury to redshirt junior center Grant Gibson.
Gibson, who was all-ACC by Pro Football Focus, appeared to seriously hurt his knee while celebrating a touchdown catch by fifth-year senior receiver C.J. Riley in the third quarter. Gibson landed awkwardly on this knee after a celebratory jump.
When Gibson left the game, NC State moved fifth-year senior guard Joe Sculthorpe to center and inserted redshirt sophomore Derrick Eason at guard. It is just the second time this season that Eason received snaps from the line of scrimmage on offense in a game this year. He had missed the last seven games of the regular season with an injury.
The Pack was also playing without sixth-year senior right tackle Tyrone Riley, who missed most of the season with an injury and had hoped to be back for the bowl.
Not the offense's day
NC State finished the contest against Kentucky with 318 total yards, which is three fewer than the Liberty game for its lowest output of the year. Part of the reason for the struggles was a total of 50 rushing yards, their second-lowest total of the year on the ground.
NC State had its struggles running the football after beginning the season with a flourish, rushing for 270 yards against Wake Forest. Saturday marked the third straight contest to finish the season under 100 yards rushing as a team, and it failed to reach the century mark in five out of 11 games on the year.
Inactives List
The following scholarship players were not active for NC State’s game Saturday against Kentucky.
Sophomore safety Rakeim Ashford
Redshirt freshman nickel Jalen Frazier
Junior safety Tanner Ingle
Senior corner Chris Ingram
Redshirt junior defensive lineman Dante Johnson
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary
Redshirt freshman safety Khalid Martin
Freshman offensive tackle Patrick Matan
Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Timothy McKay
Junior nose tackle Alim McNeill
Sixth-year senior offensive tackle Tyrone Riley
Junior corner Teshaun Smith
Sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson
What The Loss Means
NC State finished the season 8-4 overall and 7-3 in the ACC. Head coach Dave Doeren concludes his eighth season at NC State with a record of 55-46 in Raleigh, including 3-3 in bowl games.
Overall, the Wolfpack falls to 17-15-1 all-time in bowl games.
Kentucky is 3-1 all-time against the Wolfpack.
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